1. Field
The present invention generally relates to cooling of integrated circuit devices.
2. Background Art
Integrated circuit (IC) devices typically include an IC die and a package that houses the IC die. During operation, the IC die can generate significant amounts of heat. This heat can cause damage to the IC die. To conduct heat away from the IC die, the packages often include heat spreading structures. For example, the package can include heat sinks and/or heat slugs attached to the IC die.
Heat sinks are often coupled to the top surface of the IC die and spread heat to the ambient environment. Heat slugs, on the other hand, are often coupled to the bottom surface of the IC die and conduct heat from the IC die to the printed circuit board (PCB).
Although the heat spreading structures conduct heat away from the IC die, they are often inefficient because they are coupled to all or substantially all of a surface of the IC die. Moreover, by cooling all or substantially all of a surface, a non-uniform temperature profile of the surface remains even after the cooling has been applied. A non-uniform temperature profile of a surface of the IC die can cause the surface to crack.